Anyone else use ONLY their Pellet stove as primary heat source?

[bags]

I heat 100% with my P68. I also have a central HVAC system heat pump and duct work though which I never heat with. I only use it for AC or when I fire my Woodmaster OWB. For years now though I have been using the 68 for 100% of my heating.

 

[Overfireinthehole]

Interesting. I’ve never heard of anyone using that in southwest Missouri. Usually around here if it’s an older house it will have had a coal furnace or just wood fireplaces. I’ve definitely seen a few coal furnaces converted to natural gas.

 

[Havilcek stole the ball]

We heat 99% with the P-68. The 1% is when we flip on the oil furnace during pellet stove cleanings and sometimes just to run the furnace. It does need to run once in a while so it doesn't corrode.

We battled pipe freeze-ups for years because we have some water pipes running through exterior walls and in the basement, any area beyond the reach of the pellet stove. Last year I installed a "Therm Guard" that simply cycles the oil furnace at some interval, like 30 minutes or so. It will cycle it for a minute or less, but that circulates enough hot water to keep the pipes from freezing. It's been a godsend because we were getting at least one pipe break every year.

 

[bogieb]

When you say oil, what are you talking about. I’m from the Midwest and we have lp and natural gas but nobody calls it oil. Are you talking like kerosene?

It is pretty much the same thing as diesel fuel that you can get at the gas station.

 

[ABusWrench]

All pellet stove here till it gets to about 15 degrees, then on comes the electric hair dryer of a furnace. Average 6 tons a year. Starting winter #6, stove is all original, fingers crossed!

 

[JerseyJeff]

Yes.
I use a Hartman PF100 pellet furnace and a Harman P38 pellet stove.

I have an oil furnace but only used it once last year when our family went away for 10 days and I wanted to make sure no water lines would freeze while gone since the PF100 only holds about 3 days worth of pellets when the heat is turned down.

 

[JerseyJeff]

When you say oil, what are you talking about. I’m from the Midwest and we have lp and natural gas but nobody calls it oil. Are you talking like kerosene?

Heating oil is now basically the same as dyed diesel fuel. At one time it used to have a much higher sulfur content than diesel but not anymore and you could use heating oil or dyed diesel interchangeably.

 

[rich2500]

Early fall I use the oil furnace and baseboard heat, once temps drop into the 30's then the pellet eater goes on and does all the heating.

 

[Tim_M]

Our 2 old Harmans have been our primary heat for the past 10 years. Last year we decided to install a 2 head heat pump system (our summers have been getting warmer here and a/c is now almost a necessity!). Last winter we still burned our basement stove 24/7 but let the heat pumps handle the upper levels, only using our 2nd stove when it got really cold. Operating costs seem to be significantly less with this combined heating system vs all pellet. But of course the heat pump wasn’t cheap!

 

[JerseyJeff]

Our 2 old Harmans have been our primary heat for the past 10 years. Last year we decided to install a 2 head heat pump system (our summers have been getting warmer here and a/c is now almost a necessity!). Last winter we still burned our basement stove 24/7 but let the heat pumps handle the upper levels, only using our 2nd stove when it got really cold. Operating costs seem to be significantly less with this combined heating system vs all pellet. But of course the heat pump wasn’t cheap!

Did the heat pump work at really low temperatures?

 

[Tim_M]

I think -15 C (5 F) was as cold as our temperatures went last winter and the heat pump seemed to work fine. But at those temps running the 2nd pellet stove makes the house cozier, as it definitely blows harder and hotter than the heat pump.

 

[woodnomore]

First year heating with corn instead of wood with electric back up, since I started the stove the electric heat has been off was 15 degrees this morning and still warmer than wood heat this morning. I pay $82.10 per 1000 pounds of corn in 100 pound bags.

 

[mirwin22031]

This will be my first full season with my Castle Serenity. It won't be my only heat, but it will be my primary heat.

My house has a heat pump, which has always "heated" the house fine, but it's not a warm heat, and when it's running it can get kind of breezy in the house.

Right now I'm spot heating with the Serenity, mainly in the evenings, as it's not too cold yet here in Northern Virginia. When it starts getting colder, I'll turn my heat pump system on, but set the thermostat at 60. I'm figuring it will run very little, mainly overnight or in the middle of the day when I'm at work.

Once we get into the depths of winter I'll set the program up on the Serenity to come on in the morning before I get up and in the afternoon before I get home. That should keep more than enough heat in the house most of the time. When I need to, I'll run it in manual if it gets too cold.

Fortunately I'm in a middle townhouse, get good sun exposure, and a few years ago upped the attic insulation to about an R-50.

 

[linc1216]

Since 2015 I burn 24/7 my Harman Accentra 52i pellet stove has been heating my house. I have a small rancher and prior to getting my Harman I had a Woodstove insert, no comparison less work, no mess fooling with wood to keep fire going and the heat output is CONSTANTLY wonderful.

 

[Tonyray]

Since 2015 I burn 24/7 my Harman Accentra 52i pellet stove has been heating my house. I have a small rancher and prior to getting my Harman I had a Woodstove insert, no comparison less work, no mess fooling with wood to keep fire going and the heat output is CONSTANTLY wonderful.

Absolutely